1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to closure mechanisms for resilient pouches, and more particularly, to such closure mechanisms that easily allow for removal of interior air by applying pressure to the closure mechanism.
2. Background of the Related Art
Resilient thermoplastic bags have become ubiquitous to store various items. Commonly, plastic bags are used to store food items as varied as sandwiches, snacks, roasts, and all manner of leftovers. Often, storage of food items in thermoplastic bags can be for a considerable time with or without refrigeration. In such circumstances, not only is it desirable for the bags to seal effectively and easily, but many consumers prefer being able to reduce or minimize the amount of air trapped inside the bag. Consumers believe that a reduction in trapped air preserves freshness better. Further, bags which contain minimal air require less storage space and, thus, are more portable and easily stored.
Use of closure mechanisms for bags has been widely used and well understood in the art. Indeed, the very high skill level of those innovating in the art of closure mechanisms for plastic bags has resulted in a very advanced state of art for closure mechanisms. Despite these advancements, it is still common practice for consumers to partially closely a plastic bag zipper, flatten the bag to remove excess air, and deftly complete closure of the zipper with introducing unwanted air. With various food items, completing this maneuver is difficult and usually somewhat ineffective.
In view of these challenges, many closure mechanism have been developed for plastic bags to allow sealing and removal of air from the bag. Some examples are illustrated in the following: U.S. Pat. No. 7,004,632 issued on Feb. 28, 2006 to Hamilton et al. discloses an adhesive seal to close venting perforations in a bag; U.S. Pat. No. 7,437,805 issued on Oct. 21, 2008 to Berich discloses a pressure sensitive one-way valve in bag; U.S. Pat. No. 6,637,939 issued on Oct. 28, 2003 to Huffer discloses a complex valve for venting a bag; U.S. Pat. No. 7,163,706 issued on Jan. 16, 2007 to Shepard et al. discloses a hook and loop closure venting mechanism; U.S. Pat. No. 7,674,039 issued on Mar. 9, 2010 to McMahon et al. shows a vacuum storage bag; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,692,147 issued on Feb. 17, 2004 to Nelson discloses venting reclosable bags. U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2004/0234171 published on Nov. 25, 2004 to Dais et al. also shows a pouch with a venting seal.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,260,871 issued to Borchardt et al. on Aug. 28, 2007 with the title Ventable Interlocking Closure Strip (Borchardt et al.). Borchardt et al. disclose a closure device 52 with opposing hook shaped elements 72, 92 to be interlocked (see FIG. 2 of Borchardt et al.). Hook element 72 has webs 66, 68 supporting dual hooks 72, 74. Similarly, hook element 92 has webs 86, 88 supporting dual hooks 94, 96. In the sealed position of FIG. 7 of Borchardt et al., the opposing hooks 72, 74, 94, 96 are coupled. In a vented position of FIG. 5, the hooks 72, 74, 94, 96 are separated to create a venting flowpath indicated by arrows 145. As can be seen, Borchardt et al. require a delicate touch in that if the closure device 52 is insufficiently pressed, the venting path remains blocked (see FIG. 6 of Borchardt et al.). Additionally, if the closure is pressed too hard, the hooks 72, 74 seal against the base portion 84 to occlude the vent path.
Further, specialized appliances have been developed to seal and/or extract air from bags. Typical appliances create a seal around the mouth of the bag. By using a textured bag, minute flowpaths are created so that when vacuum is applied into the sealed area, air from the interior of the bag is removed. After extracting the interior air, a heating element creates a permanent seal. See for example: U.S. Pat. No. 787,130 issued on Aug. 8, 2006 to Wu et al. that discloses bags for use in such heat sealing appliances; U.S. Pat. No. 6,058,998 issued May 9, 2000 to Kristen that discloses a heat sealing appliance; U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2007/0155607 published on Jul. 5, 2007 to Bassett et al. that shows an appliance for evacuation and sealing of resilient bags; and U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2005/0034427 published on Feb. 17, 2005 to Higer et al. that shows a vacuum sealing system with a heating element inside the evacuation chamber.
Despite the advances in specialized bags and appliances for removal of interior air and sealing, the prior art mechanisms are not without drawbacks. Once the bags are sealed, one must destroy the bag to access the contents thereof. Further, storage of liquids and/or wet products like fish fillets can be difficult as the presence of the liquid in the sealing area may prevent the heating element completing an effective seal.